Caran D'ache Grafwood Graphite Pencil

The Caran d’Ache Graphite Line products are made with only the purest grades of graphite. This graphite is 99% pure and mined in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Germany. The graphite from these countriesare naturally formed in varying shapes and sizes producing an intense bond resulting in a strong core that doesn’t break when you sharpen it or when you apply pressure while drawing.

The clay used to produce the Caran d’Ache Graphite Line is called Montmorillonite Clay. It was first discovered in France, but today it is mined throughout Northwestern Europe. It was originally used as a lubricant when drilling for oil and natural gas. Because of it’s greasy lubricating quality, it enables the graphite to literally glide across the paper.

After extensive processing to remove impurities the graphite and clay mixture is then turned into cakes. The cakes are then mixed for several hours and ground a minimum of six times on rolling mills and then dried in the next stage of production. This is the reason why Caran d’Ache graphite products are much smoother and homogeneous than competitors. The graphite and clay paste is then extruded into cores and baked at 100˚ Celsius (212˚ Fahrenheit), cooled and then fired at 1000˚C (1832˚ Fahrenheit) to dry the moisture and produce a finished product.